


Something in Between

by katypery



Category: Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (Cartoon), Sonic X, Sonic the Hedgehog (Archie Comic), Sonic the Hedgehog (IDW Comics), Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games), Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Afterglow, Casual Sex, Character Study, Emotional Attachment, Friends With Benefits, Intimacy, It's actually deep, M/M, Sexual freedom, Thighjob, This story is a ride...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:35:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28321002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katypery/pseuds/katypery
Summary: Enemies by circumstances and friends when necessary, Sonic and Shadow share a rather intimate moment in each other’s presence after a long week of stopping another one of Dr. Eggman’s evil plans, leaving the heroes spent and in need of some sort of escapism.This story is for mature audiences. Please avoid reading it if you are under 18 years old. Mentions of alcohol consumption, smoking, explicit sexual acts and foul language.I do not own the characters in this story. Sonic and Shadow belong to the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, as well as other mentioned characters.© SEGA / Sonic the Hedgehog (1991–present)
Relationships: Knuckles the Echidna/Rouge the Bat, Shadow the Hedgehog & Sonic the Hedgehog, Shadow the Hedgehog/Sonic the Hedgehog
Comments: 16
Kudos: 48





	Something in Between

**Author's Note:**

> In honor of Sonic’s 30th Anniversary, he is 30 years old in this story. With the exception of the characters being 15 years older, canon stays the same. All game and comic/book (Archie/Universe, Sonic and the Tales of Deception and IDW) events until now have happened (save the events from the Sonic Boom universe). Sonic’s had a relationship with Sally Acorn in the past (including ex-girlfriends Mina Mongoose and Fiona Fox from Archie and love interests from other media, with the exception of Amy Rose – that’ll happen in the future), making events from Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and other older TV shows and comics canon in this story.
> 
> I got inspired by Motive by Ariana Grande and Tucked by Katy Perry when writing this story. I highly recommend you to check these songs out if you still haven’t. Or at least, read the lyrics if you aren’t able to listen to them for some reason or any medical condition that prevents you from doing so. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend nice alternative songs as many would because I’m a mainstream pop music fan, so I apologize for that. Please stream Positions and Smile regardless. If you’re into listening to music while reading, give a listen to Come As You Are by Nirvana to get in the mood of this story. It’s more of their thing, being rock fans, you know? And if you like older, pop songs, What's On Your Mind (Pure Energy) by Information Society is appropriate too.
> 
> Sonic’s been friends with benefits with Shadow the Hedgehog for a little over 10 years in this story. He hasn’t had a proper relationship since Sally Acorn – and there’s a reason why.

**SOMETHING IN BETWEEN**  
_A Sonic and Shadow Story_

Blue neon lights shone on Shadow’s stoic face, coming from the pool outside the glass, sliding doors connecting his bedroom to the ample area. He lived in a ‘humble’, spacious, penthouse in Westopolis, courtesy of G.U.N.’s generous paychecks. The hedgehog didn’t live alone though, as his partner in crime, Rouge the Bat, self-proclaimed herself as his woman to diverge their neighbors’ eyes and attention off the awkward, secret agents of the Guardian Units of Nations. E-123 Omega also lived with them, from time to time, since he was more required for recon missions than the others.

Shadow watched the stars, glittering in the dark, navy sky. It was past 3 AM. A few minutes ago, there was heavy breathing, movement, loud noises and a constant sound of furniture bumping against the wall, repeatedly, _rhythmically_. It had been a tough week, the Doctor never really gave up, even after Sonic the Hedgehog and his friends ruined his plans again, and again. It didn’t really matter to him, but he helped the gang, alongside his found family, Team Dark.

The black and red hedgehog felt a finger trace his back, then another, between his sharp back quills, giving him chills. He was laying on his side, back facing the person he was currently sharing his bed with. They’ve been the ones responsible for all the noisy mess in the bedroom. The two of them had started at 1 AM, warming things up with a sixty-nine, tongues and mouths doing all the work. Then things got even more heated, as he rode the other in a vicious pace, moaning, _breaking apart_. They came, hard. And did it again, after a minute to catch their breaths. He was fond of doggy style, a hand grabbing his head quills forcefully, a mix of pain and pleasure. It went on and on… on and on… back and forth… in and out… until all the noises remaining were the ones coming from the headboard hitting the wall, scraping light gray paint, and their mouths, crying out profanities and begs for more.

He wanted more. He did. Until they came again. A numbing, continuous sensation spreading in his limbs. _Satisfaction_.

Shadow turned his head slightly, regarding the other as he kept caressing his back, fingers never leaving him, not even for a minute. He smirked at him, with half-lidded eyes. The man smirked back, with the same expression on his face.

That man was Sonic the Hedgehog.

Shadow invited the blue hedgehog over to watch an action movie. He wanted to watch it, he really did, but his intentions were different. He guided the other to his bedroom, putting on the movie, and told him to order pizza. Removing his gloves, rocket shoes and socks, he wandered around the apartment, grabbing beer bottles and an old-fashioned bottle of whisky. They drank, Sonic downing the beer while Shadow downed the whisky. They watched the movie, until the only action left was their bodies interlocking. Shadow made his intentions clear, knowing very well that the other already had them figured out. It wasn’t a big deal, though.

It was casual sex. Just… semi regularly.

It wasn’t the first time, far from that. They’ve been doing it for a little over 10 years.

Sonic’s fingers lowered down, resting on Shadow’s ass, grabbing a buttock slightly, as if sensing Shadow’s brooding. Bringing him back to the present, although the touch only made him dive into old memories. Shadow thought about when he started having a particular interest for sex. It all started many years ago, with Rouge, saying he was missing out on good ‘living being’ things, subtly calling him out for being stoic and cold towards women in Club Rouge, her little establishment. It wasn’t that they didn’t interest him, they were attractive, and he felt attracted by them. He just didn’t see the point in engaging in acts that would be meaningless in the end.

That night, Rouge had kissed him, when they came back to their old apartment, over Club Rouge. He had had sex with her, and it felt amazing. Shadow had always been attracted to Rouge, but he considered her a friend, a confidant, not a woman to have a fling with. She was a kind woman, despite how men thought of her. Sure, Rouge flirted with men, women sometimes, but they never got her into bed, only a few men she deemed decent enough. Shadow knew he was included, even though he considered himself the worst of them all.

He was pent up, and he thought that might have been the reason why he was so angry and revolted all the time, with a need to punch and destroy things that annoyed him deeply. ‘Sexual frustration. It makes sense,’ Shadow had pondered.

Still, it wasn’t only that. He was angry at the world, too. At people. At mobians and humans alike. He was considered – and still is, by many – an untrustworthy, subversive, crazy, apathetic, broken son of a bitch. All against his own judgement. Every single time he fucked up, even unintentionally, either trying to take out the greatest threat or simply get a mission done, he would be condemned. It had happened when he misunderstood Maria’s wish due to his own creator manipulating his memories; when he was, once again, manipulated by his alien, disgusting ‘father’, as well as the Doctor and some of his so-called friends, in his journey for the truth; when he released Mephiles, not on purpose, but because he was saving his best friend Rouge; when he became a zombot after confronting a wave of mobians contaminated by the Metal Virus and turned against his friends; and, most recently, when Infinite took a simple ‘worthless’ and a few injured comrades as a trigger to take over the world and defeat Sonic.

Fuck, the list could go on and on. He never thought he was right for what he did, far from that, however he knew the consequences, the risks, and acted upon them, even though he would stand out as the main villain in the end of it all. It didn’t make sense. People expected him to be like Sonic, as if their physical appearance wasn’t enough. He hated being compared to the blue hedgehog, he was his own person. He didn’t need role models, he was the fucking Ultimate Lifeform, damnit.

Another grab on his buttock, particularly firmer. He tensed, as if Sonic knew he was getting anxious. _Mad_. He wondered if the hero thought the same of him as other people did.

His thoughts came back to Rouge, his best friend. Yes, they had sex a few other times after that. But it didn’t feel right, deep down. She reminded him of Maria, her kindness, patience and compassion mixed with his feelings for his late friend, so they stopped doing it completely. “Depraved,” he had mumbled to himself that day, taking a cold shower. Therefore, Rouge started showing clearly more interest in Knuckles, the Guardian of the Master Emerald. Why, he didn’t know. Maybe they shared the same hobbies, like himself and Sonic. Shadow began seeking out company in women from his partner’s club, getting lost in their bodies, although he knew he wouldn’t fall in love. But a little fuck wouldn’t hurt – he couldn’t say the same about them. He smirked.

That was when his life got complicated. He had been in Casinopolis, looking for gambling and a girl to keep him busy, and then he saw _him_. And the bastard was winking at him, raising his glass of champagne as if to greet him. Shadow paused what he was doing and came closer, already full of insults to throw at the blue nuisance, but he was stopped short when Sonic handed him a full glass, asking him to drink with him. It was surprising, little did he know that, like him, Sonic was looking for sex too. Little did he know he was _bisexual_.

After many drinks, lots of gambling and checking out ladies, they decided to have a race. A race that ended in a luxurious motel. And none of the two hedgehogs had brought a woman with them. It had been his first time with a man, and to his surprise, he liked it. More than with women. _Way more_. He had never thought that hearing his rival screaming out his name in pleasure would be so entertaining. When he had woken up to reality, they switched. Sonic had asked if he trusted him, and absentmindedly, he had said he did. He had regretted afterwards, not because he didn’t trust Sonic, but because he let it slip. They did it again, this time, with Sonic over him, inside him. It was uncomfortable at first, but things got good. _Really good_. That day he had decided that Sonic, and only him, would have him in that position. Because being his equal, he deemed him fit enough to fuck him, since he considered everyone else inferior. Worthless.

‘What happens in Casinopolis, stays in Casinopolis’ as they would say. Shadow decided to keep it a secret, a dirty secret that only him and Sonic knew. Yet, Shadow felt adventurous, deciding to engage in sexual acts with other men. He never let them touch him that way, though, unconsciously guarding himself for the man responsible for his awakening. Sometimes he slept with women, but mostly it was men that caught his attention. He never felt anything. Not even a spark, a warm sensation in his heart. He never had sex with the same person twice, since one-night stands were enough. He didn’t want them to know him, where he lives or who he is. It was a game, a game he would always win in the end.

Shadow started getting close to Sonic, against his will. They would frequent the same bars, talk about ordinary things sometimes. Explore their sexual freedom. They were calm in the presence of the other in missions, among the Resistance, helping and knowing when to step away if necessary. There had always been more to the surface than they would expose. According to Rouge, their rivalry was becoming less destructive and more challenging, in a healthy way. They had become allies, kind of friends, kind of lovers, something like that. Rouge hadn’t known yet, but Shadow used to have sex dreams about his rival. He would jack off thinking of him. To everyone, they were nothing but rivals. Nevertheless, Rouge was an elite agent. She found out, obviously, through a single message showing up in Shadow’s phone at night, when he was in the shower. “Dtf?” Rouge had mumbled to herself, mouth agape.

Like an avalanche, Sonic’s close friends, Tails and Knuckles, had found out about them too. They had been careful, but it had been months already. He had realized Rouge was engaging in a similar arrangement with Knuckles too, internally telling himself to stay out of her business. He grew protective of his friend and would never let a man, especially a knucklehead echidna like him, break her heart. But he was happy for her.

Little by little, he had grown comfortable in having Sonic in the presence of his best friend. One day, Rouge suggested having a ‘private party’ at their penthouse, wriggling her eye ridges in a malicious way. Shadow had crossed his arms, a smirk forming in his mouth. “You want an orgy, don’t you?” he had stated. Rouge had asked for his permission to invite Sonic, as she knew her friend wouldn’t like being a third wheel. Their only guests were Team Sonic’s older members, so they were in pairs. Their little private pool party had ended with both pairs fucking after a few drinks and cigarettes, with loud, electronic music blasting, muffling their sounds. Rouge, while being pounded in the beach chair by Knuckles over her, leaned her head back, and saw her manly, cold and cruel friend riding Big Blue, who was meeting him halfway in violent speed, filling him to the brim, making Shadow scream. She had come with that view.

Another secret he would take to his grave.

Most of the time, Sonic and Shadow battled for dominance, struggling to know who would come out on top. However, some days they had roles established, depending on the mood, both inclined to give or take pleasure from the other without questioning nor judging. They became emotionally involved with each other. When they were alone, just in the presence of the other hedgehog, they shared secrets and vulnerabilities, tried rejected kinks and took solace in the other. Shadow remembered the many times he broke down in front of Sonic. And in all those times, he had never been judged, not even a single damn time. He had always been held. Physically and emotionally. He felt understood by Sonic, as he understood the hero in return.

Shadow felt Sonic’s hand stroking his thigh, and he wondered if Sonic thought of him too. Thought of them, what they had, what they had shared with one another. He didn’t know that, at that same time, Sonic was thinking of him, watching his body language closely.

‘What’s on your mind?’ they thought, but none of them dared to say a word.

Suddenly Sonic’s fingers stopped. There was movement in the sheets, a hand around his waist, lips on his shoulder, going upwards on the way to his neck, while another arm reached under him, placing itself under his head, index and middle fingers gently pushing his face towards him, silently asking for a kiss. As soon as Shadow turned his head, his lips were captured in an open-mouthed kiss. The angle was uncomfortable, but he’d been in odd positions before. He felt Sonic’s chest touching his back, brushing his back quills, and the hand that was holding him close lowered down, caressing his body until it stopped between his legs. Shadow moaned lowly mid-kiss, hips bucking slowly against the blue hedgehog’s hand in a lazy rhythm, encouraging him to move his hand. Sonic smirked and kissed him deeply, as much as their angle could allow, moving his hand, teasing, building up the tension once again. His rival parted his legs for more access, relishing in the cold breeze that met his warm lower body, coming from the open glass doors that head to the pool.

Shadow grabbed Sonic’s forearm loosely, the one holding his head still, and broke the kiss. They looked at each other for a moment, and the hero felt his rival’s other hand stroking his boner, reciprocating the act. Shadow smirked, licking his lips and maintaining eye contact with half-lidded bloody red eyes. Observing closely, the hero could see the clear mix of red and amber tones in Shadow’s irises. Sonic mirrored his expression, presenting his ungloved index and middle fingers to the other’s lips, and whispered close to his ear. “Suck them for me.”

Shadow gazed at his fingers, with an amused expression on his face, whispering back in a deep, hoarse voice. “Wanna keep me quiet now? I thought you said I should talk more, blue boy.”

He teased the other, before turning his head away from him and licking both fingers, closing his eyes and sucking them slowly as if to feel each finger moving against the inside of his mouth. With Shadow occupied, Sonic came back to his ministrations. He removed the other’s hand from his now fully erect cock, and started giving him a proper handjob, massaging his balls before closing his hand around his length, thumb lightly pressing against the tip. Stimulated, Shadow groaned around the fingers inside his mouth, still sucking them as asked. Sonic kissed his neck, licking and sucking previous lovebites, earning low, deep grunts from Shadow in return.

Sonic felt like he couldn’t wait any longer, pre-cum already wetting Shadow’s fur. He grabbed the other’s thigh, resting his leg over his, and started rubbing his throbbing cock under his rival’s ass, fondling under his balls, the underside of his erection and inner thighs. Both hedgehogs moaned in synchrony this time, Shadow’s deep groans muffled by the fingers in his mouth. ‘A thighjob? How fitting. Using my legs for something other than running… it’s a good change of pace,’ Shadow pondered before losing his mind completely.

It was a slow, steady pace at first. They felt the friction of their members, both dripping with pre-cum, as the cold breeze returned, sending chills and sparks of pleasure to their heated, sweaty bodies, creating a sweet, intoxicating sensation. Shadow touched his own tip to wet his middle and ring fingers, swiftly moving his hand behind them both, finding Sonic’s ass and pressing circles over his hole. Sonic sped his thrusts, gripping Shadow’s thigh in a firm hold with enough force to release another groan from the hedgehog.

Shadow moved with the hero, shifting the hand he had on his wrist to their joined members loosely around the base, holding them both and meeting his thrusts, rubbing their members in merciless speed. Their grunts increased in volume, until they were crying out delightfully, Sonic almost choking Shadow when he curled his fingers inside his mouth. As Shadow reached his climax once again, his body felt heavy and lethargic. He desperately reached for Sonic’s wrist with the same hand that was playing with his pucker, putting his fingers out of his mouth as spit dripped from his mouth to his chin and chest fur. Sonic came with a loud moan, biting Shadow’s shoulder and gripping his thigh forcefully as he rode his orgasm to its finish, driven to the edge. 

The two hedgehogs stayed like that for a while, trying to catch their breaths, calm their foggy minds and control their trembling bodies. Sonic gently removed his spent dick from under Shadow’s balls, hearing the other hiss due to overstimulation. He still held him close, now comfortably, and Shadow leaned his head on his forearm, closing his eyes and recomposing himself.

After a moment, silence took over. Shadow turned to Sonic and saw the other eyeing him with tired, half-lidded eyes and a smirk on his face, stroking his chest fur from behind. Shadow stared back at him, crimson eyes that communicate everything and nothing at the same time, and smirked back, moving to lay on his back. Tension felt heavier in the afterglow somehow. They needed to part ways and clean up their mess, but their minds and bodies seemed fond of another alternative. That alternative being a lighthearted, carefree laugh. Sonic stopped his hand over Shadow’s heart, feeling his heartbeat as Shadow snickered lowly, incredulous. The black and red hedgehog placed a hand above Sonic’s, stroking his knuckles with his thumb in back-and-forth motions. A loving gesture he avoided doing, but Sonic was an exception.

Between them, sex was always like this. Dirty, messy, sudden... just like their impromptu fights, leaving them with racing hearts and many thoughts.

Like a magnet, opposite poles attract. The two hedgehogs always found themselves entangled, no matter how hard they pushed each other, whether be staining their carefully built friendship with arguments or having different goals and priorities in the moment, causing misunderstandings and lack of sympathy towards one another. They were always running for something: to save people in need of help, or to simply achieve their own personal goals. Selfish and selfless, depending on the circumstances. However, the curious thing was that they frequently managed to meet each other in the middle of it, unintentionally in most cases, and once they met, they stuck together until the end, not always in each other’s presence but in their plans and minds. A subtle care about the other’s wellbeing that none of them seemed ready to address anytime soon.

Sonic leaned in, absentmindedly. He kissed his rival, slowly, tentatively, as they have done that a hundred of times – still, each time felt different. Shadow kissed him back, closing his eyes, _feeling_ it, as if he might forget how it feels one day. Sonic trailed his hand to his abdomen, featherlight, exploring touches that the black and red hedgehog interrupted with his own hand again, intertwining their fingers. 

“I’m gonna get something to clean us up,” the blue blur said, getting up, giving Shadow one last peck on the lips. As he headed to the bathroom, his rival’s gaze followed him, eyeing him up and down, licking his lips. Shadow’s fingers caressed his thigh, rubbing soft circles where the blue hedgehog grabbed him.

Brute force has always been in their repertoire, and even though it hurt where they were hit or touched sometimes, they would never let it show or acknowledge it in the heat of the moment. Shadow wondered one time if he liked a little pain as much as he liked to inflict it in others, and he learnt from Sonic that he was, in fact, a little masochist. Maybe it was to feel something other than apathy or disdain, possibly he was used to it as it became comforting in a twisted kind of way, since it was deeply engraved in the emotional memory of witnessing his dear friend Maria’s gruesome death… or perhaps it was because Sonic made him feel so damn good. He liked the third option in particular, biting his lower lip as he watched Sonic come back with a wet towel.

After cleaning themselves up and taking a piss, Sonic closed the glass doors and the curtains, getting another beer for himself on the way to Shadow’s kitchen. When he came back, Shadow watched him gulping it down, effortlessly. It turned him on somehow, the thought of having that man for himself, whose reputation was perfectly built, a hero for many, a savior to most. He reached for his cigarette pack, lighting one with the burning Chaos energy coming from his index finger. He needed to relax. Although none of them got tired physically, mental exhaustion was still present. They stayed like that for a while, smoking and drinking, in silence, but a peaceful silence nonetheless.

“Still wanna watch that movie we started?” Sonic turned his head to regard Shadow, who had just finished smoking his third cigarette and was putting the pack away, inside his nightstand drawer, next to a little bottle of lube, a few dildos and butt plugs he bought for himself, following Rouge’s recommendation when they went to a sex shop a few weeks ago.

Shadow noticed a little, decorated red box that he kept there next to his goods. It was a gift Sonic had given him on his birthday – or creation day, as he liked to put it. A golden cock ring. Sonic had teased about giving him a ring, in bed, since he collected many, from golden, to silver, red and blue ones, pretending to ask for his hand in marriage, and Shadow had told him to stick it. The blue hedgehog had laughed, slapping him and saying he would like it. Shadow had joked about how he only would accept his fake proposal if he gave him a ring he would use. Sonic had looked him in the eyes, smugly, and said “Oh, you _will_ use this one. _A lot,_ ” earning him a confused frown, and a playful kick on his chest. 

“Huh?” Lost in the fond memory, Shadow completely forgot what Sonic said.

“The movie. Wanna finish it?” he repeated, looking curious as to what was in the other’s mind at that moment.

“No. I’ve watched enough,” Shadow shifted, moving to lay on his side and patting the mattress, silently asking Sonic to lay down with him.

Sonic complied, quietly. He laid right next to him, close enough for their noses to touch. He smirked at the other, and Shadow smirked too, reaching out and kissing him, holding his cheek with an ungloved, clawed hand. Rouge had told him to paint his nails red earlier that night and he had refused, saying it was ridiculous to make himself ‘pretty’ for some man, at the same time scolding Rouge for putting on her best dress just to fly to Angel Island – and have a _busy_ night like himself. When she left, though, he painted his nails, no way he was letting that woman know she had some sort of influence on him, as it would shatter his pride.

Shadow moved, rolling over Sonic. Sonic wrapped his hands around Shadow’s waist, hugging him and deepening the kiss. After a moment of making out, Shadow moved to lay half on Sonic’s body, half on the bed, switching places with the blue hedgehog, who had his back to the now closed curtains. Shadow rested his hand on Sonic’s chest, while the hero placed his arm under his head, stroking his sharp, black and red quills affectionately. Shadow put a leg over his, locking him in place and closing his eyes, breathing in the other’s scent.

“Tired already, big guy?” Sonic whispered, mischievously.

“I’ve had enough of you for today,” Shadow mumbled, with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Sonic snorted and started rubbing Shadow’s back, between his back quills, slowly. Shadow let out a yawn, instinctively. ‘Some things never change,’ the hero thought.

“Sleep with me tonight,” Shadow asked, although it sounded more like an order.

“I can’t go anywhere with your leg locking me in place.”

“Exactly,” Sonic could feel Shadow’s smug grin on his chest.

Sonic doesn’t stay the night every time they do it. Neither does Shadow. Sometimes they meet in a motel, have a quickie somewhere far away from the crowds, and things come up at last minute. Nevertheless, throughout the many years they’ve spent having each other’s backs in the sex department, it’s become a habit. Maybe it was a need to hold someone close, someone he holds dear in his heart who doesn’t need to be saved. Who won’t miss him when he’s gone for too long, nor judge him if he’s lying with someone else, but will hold him back with the same strength and vigor whenever he needed a crying shoulder – figuratively, as Sonic the Hedgehog _never_ cries – or when he just wanted a good, old challenge. Someone to talk to. _Make love_ to. Some days it felt like he was holding himself, a mirrored image that only changed in a few imperceptible details – being upturned quills one of them. Like a reflection, no matter what movements he did, they would be mirrored in the other side. They will always touch each other in the surface, with an unspoken need of diving deeper and reaching their depths.

He thought of his team, consisting of his two closest friends.

“You guys either race, fight or fuck,” Knuckles once said to him, as if Rouge hadn’t told him that a few nights prior, in bed. Sometimes pillow talk can be talking about your best friends getting laid and avoiding their problems.

Sonic didn’t even say anything that day, knowing very well how much of a hypocrite Knuckles was. ‘Switch _race_ with _treasure hunt_ and there you’ve got it.’ The blue hedgehog wondered, in that stupid fucked up head of his, that if Omega was a girl, Tails would have the same problem as his older friends. ‘Maybe switch _race_ and _treasure hunt_ with _try to outsmart the other_ and the circus is complete.’ Sonic snorted, smirking at the thought. Knuckles took that as his answer for his statement, not knowing that in Sonic’s mind, Team Dark would be way more interesting if Tails also had somebody to do three little things with.

Speaking of Tails, being a smart, genius guy, he had found out Sonic was hiding something by noticing little, inconspicuous changes in his routine. Obviously, Sonic never stayed home for too long. Some days he would sleep in some peaceful, quiet Zone that he discovered free of Eggman’s badniks or spend the night with some girl or guy he met somewhere after a one-night stand. Regardless of the reason, Tails knew his friend was _out there_. However, along with the nights spent in some mundane place, he would show up in a hurry and leave again, as if he had somebody waiting for him. At first, Tails thought he was seeing Amy, since he knew about his friend’s repressed feelings towards the girl, although that thought was pretty much dismissed when Sonic showed no signs of _further involvement_ when in the presence of the heroine. Not even a wink or a particularly dirty joke.

However, these signs started appearing in the presence of someone else. Someone uncanny with questionable reputation. Tails frowned when he put the pieces together. He knew Sonic was bisexual, but _Shadow_ of all mobian men? He had an idea that he was stereotyping Shadow, but that was hard to believe – at least for him. Sonic had taught him a bit of the language that some guys used in clubs he attended, and that was when his mind started wondering who _tops_ who. As soon as that thought manifested itself, Tails had gone straight to his workshop to fix or create something. “Too much thinking for one day,” he had mumbled, even though that day ended with a headache, a few broken tools and Sonic sleeping somewhere else.

Sonic still remembered when Tails asked him if he was having an affair with his rival. He had laughed and asked how he had found out. Tails was shocked, to say the least, expecting that Sonic was going to dodge the question or imply that he was crazy for thinking he was fucking _Shadow_ of all people. On the contrary, he was in an infectious good mood, meaning he had had a good night’s sleep, or just a good _night_ considering how things probably went between them. It was quite funny for Sonic, because he knew Tails would be uncomfortable once he laid his eyes on Shadow again. However, they were adults and his friend was just a teenager, having a crush or two, so he would get used to it one day.

Knuckles, differently from Tails, had found out about their arrangement in the most embarrassing way ever. Upon hearing strange noises and a few pained moans, he broke into Sonic’s bedroom, in the house he shared with his close friend Tails, and punched Shadow in the face when he was in the middle of pulling out, alleging he was choking Sonic – which in fact, was true, but for different reasons whatsoever. Sonic was so revolted that he kicked his friend’s head with the little energy he still had after a mindblowing orgasm, causing Knuckles to reevaluate the situation. Shadow then revealed he also had sex with Rouge in the past, out of spite, knowing the echidna had started seeing his best friend regularly since they made out in a party. Sonic had to jump between the two guys before things got out of hand in his, already messy, bedroom, trying his hardest not to laugh. The three of them had decided to never bring up the event ever again.

Sonic knew they would wake up in the morning – or afternoon, since it was almost 5 AM already – and possibly get to it again, a lazy version of the acts they’ve done the night prior, keeping in mind Shadow’s sore body and his possible desire for dominance. Then, they would take a shower together and he would complain about Shadow’s ‘manly’ body spray fragrance spreading out in the entire penthouse, earning him a punch or an earful, depending on how offended Shadow would feel.

Later, Shadow would cook breakfast for the two of them and he would slap his ass on the way to the kitchen counter, just to hear the other complain, pretending that he didn’t like it. They’ve been teasing each other for so long that it’s become their own little thing, crystalized in their routine. In the end, they would part ways, and agree to never see each other again… until the next adventure, or the next time Sonic invites Shadow to hang out, or the next time they’re too lazy to seek company in somebody else’s arms.

He remembered Knuckles saying he should’ve put a ring on his finger instead of running in circles around him like an irrational hedgehog in rut. “I’ve known married couples who divorced in less than 7 years of marriage. You and him have been firm and strong for two bachelors… it’s been what, 10 years?”

The first question that came to his mind was how in the hell Knuckles knew so many unhappy divorced couples, but then he discarded that thought as his failed engagement with Sally came to mind. Back then he thought only love was required for a long, lasting marriage. Now he wasn’t so sure. However, that was what caught his attention. He could have an open relationship with Shadow if he wanted to. And that would change absolutely nothing in their dynamic. Save for a ring on their fingers and more time for sex, naturally.

He thought of Amy, his friend and potential lover once he finally decides to _stop running_ from his feelings and fears that come and go in his fast-paced mind. He won’t ever love someone as much as he loved Sally, but he thought Amy would be fine with at least _something_ , as sad as it sounds. He still wouldn’t be whole, but at least he would try to reciprocate her feelings in a way. She was a strong, beautiful, independent woman, she would be fine with some crumbs… probably. He knew she didn’t deserve that, but he can’t help being a jerk when the situation calls for it. In reality, he respects Amy way too much to simply delve in a relationship with her without having his proper intentions sorted out.

Sonic decided that his lack of serious relationships and busted opportunities to find true love was due to his fear of living a life he didn’t want. Of growing. Settling down. _Stopping_. He loved adventure, loved leading a carefree life, running away from drama and complicated situations that he knew he couldn’t properly handle. So much that he chose his ordinary, hero life instead of marrying the woman he loved and becoming king. He didn’t want to be someone else. He didn’t want to lose his freedom, especially his sexual freedom. He didn’t want to lose Shadow permanently.

His mind wandered back to Shadow and he instinctively looked at the hedgehog in the dark, in his arms, his breath tickling his chest. He didn’t need to think of scenarios and what ifs. This was _his_ reality, and a nice, simple reality. ‘Why do women have to be so complicated?’ he thought. Knowing very well that the only complicated person was in fact himself. He could just officialize things with his buddy and fuck the sentimental bullshit that only served to slow him down. There were endless possibilities. He caressed Shadow’s quills, another hand rubbing lines and circles on his back, and he felt the black and red hedgehog smile on his chest. He smiled, too.

‘What are we running away from? What are we so scared of? Why are you so contradictory, yet I can understand you so well when we’re like this? Alone… and _together_ …’ he didn’t voice these thoughts.

It wasn’t love. But it was something in between. And that was enough for him.

With his caresses on Shadow’s quills and back slowing down, he fell asleep, lost in the other man’s scent and warmth.

**Author's Note:**

> So, many thoughts, balls empty, huh? Alright. I headcanon that Sonic and Shadow have more to their relationship than it seems in the games and other media. And it’s not out of the blue, I can hand over many receipts to justify that, even ‘meaningless’ twitter posts on Sonic’s official account portraying Shadow in some of Team Sonic’s antics (i.e. the Ouija board incident and the Zoom Christmas meeting, as well as the infamous Twitter Takeover sessions, which even Infinite seems to have receipts!). They seem to be very good friends, as that old lady would say.
> 
> To keep things short (not really), I’ve always thought they had some sort of attraction towards one another since SEGA keeps bringing up Shadow whenever they can to fight or engage Sonic in some sort of petty, but deadly, rivalry (besides, he’s the second most popular character in the franchise, ladies and gentlemen!), which is fine because well, it’s funny to see how no other Sonic rival has been brought up for a while now (with the exception of Metal Sonic – a robot, and Knuckles, who’s a part of Team Sonic, therefore he isn’t on that list anymore as they’ve become friendly rivals and best friends). Said attraction can be justified as they’re both narcissistic assholes with a sick need for a challenge, also they’re equals both in power and speed canonically. Which makes us think, oh boy. It’s canon they respect and care about each other, even though they would never say that out loud. And saying they have an interesting dynamic would be an understatement. 
> 
> I’m a big fan of both characters, especially Sonic, and seeing their interactions in all media is super fun. Their relationship is rich, heated, complicated and full of subtleties. I’m not really into them falling in love (shocking, I know), but I really like the concept of two kind-of-friends who are powerful and independent getting it and pretending they don’t need each other for anything. Nonetheless, we love men beating the shit out of each other and always coming back for more.
> 
> I guess that’s it for today. You can message me on Tumblr (self-titled blog or @galsgeneration, where I make Sonic Boom gifs) or on Twitter (ask for my user privately!) if you want to know more about my thoughts on these characters or just talk to me in private. By the way, have you ever noticed that Sonic characters have little necks in the Sonic Boom TV show? Strange, isn’t it? Anyways, tell me what you think of this story (and characters) in the comments! Kudos are always appreciated. XOXO, katypery.


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